Railroad-switch



UNITED STATES PATENT QEEICE.

ooaNELrUs DoNKEEstEY, or NEw rornLNf Y.

, Minnow-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Baltent No.7224,157,.dated February 3, 1880.

I Y Application filed June' 1879. l

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CORNELIUS DoNKEns- LEY, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful improvement in Railroad-Switches, of which 4the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying draw' ings, in whichi Y vFigure l, Sheet 1, is a top view of my improved switch. Fig. 2, Sheet 1, is a side view ofthe same, partly in section, through the line x, Fig. l. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is a cross-section of the same, taken through the line y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is a llongitudinal section of the same, taken through the line z z, Fig. 1.

The object of this invention is to furnish a switch for single-rail elevated railroads which shall be simple in construction, reliable in operation, convenient in use, strong, and durable.

The invention consists in a switch for a single-rail elevated railroad in which the switchrails of the main and side tracks are attached to the frame of a truck the wheels of which run upon rails supported from the supporting structure of the said railway ;l in the combination of the ropes or chains, the wheels or drums, the three shafts, the two `pairs of bevel-gear wheels, and the hand-wheel with the switchtruck and the frame-work and the movable rails; and in the combination of the ratchetwheel provided with two notches, and the spring-pawl with theV hand-wheel shaft, the switch-truck, and the switch-rails, ashereinafter fully described.

A represents the rails ofthe main track, and p B represents the rails of the side or branch track. The rails A B are supported upon columns C, provided withl guard-rails D. a is the switchrail of the main track, and which is made of such a length as tofit in between the adjacent ends of the rails Aof the main track. b is the switch-rail of the side or branch track, which is made of such a length as to lit in between the endof the rail A of the main track and the end of the railB of the side or branch track.

The switch-rails a' b' are attached to a truckframe, E, in 'such positions that they may be moved into and opt of line with their respective tracks by the reciprocating movement of the said truck-frame.

To the truck-frame E are pivoted the truckwheelsF, which run up`n stationary rails G, attached to aframe-work, H. The frame H is designed to be attached to arms or brackets i attached to the columns that support the rails A B, or to other suitable supports.

To the ends of the truck-frameE are attached the ends of two ropes or chains, I, -which make one or more turns around pulleys or drums J, attached to the shaft K, so that the truck E F may be moved back and forth by turning the said shaft K. in bearings attached to the i frame H,- and to one of its ends is attached a bevel-gear wheel,

The shaft K works i L, the teeth of which mesh into the teeth of Y the bevel-gearwheel M, attached to the end,

of the shaft N. The shaft N works in bearings attached to the structure that supports the rails Gr, and is made of such a length that its other end may be out of the way of the cars as they pass along the track.

To the outer end of the shaft N is attached a bevel-gear wheel, 0, the teeth of which mesh into the teeth of the bevel-gear wheel at.

tached to the lower end of the short vertical shaft Q.

To` the upper end of the shaft Q is attached a hand-wheel, R, for 'convenience in operating it. The shaft Q and the gear-wheels O P are designed to be supported from the frame-work of the road, and are surrounded by a casin g, S.

With this construction the swtchman, by operating the hand-wheel R, can open the main t track or the side track, as may be required.

With this con struction it will be observed that the switch-.rail over which the train may be passing will be directly in line with the supporting structure of the road, so that there will be no side strain upon the truck or its supporting-frame.

To the upper part of the shaft Q is attached `a ratchet-wheel, T, provided with two notches to receive the engaging end 4of the pawl U, and which are formed in such positions as to receive the said pawl when the switch-rails are in position to open one o r the other track, so as to hold the switch securely in position when adjusted, and so as to act as a stop to prevent the switch-rails from being carried past the line of the tracks.

The pawlrU is pivoted to the casing S or its supporting frame-work, and its engaging end the wheels or drums J, the three shafts K N is held forward against the ratchet-wheel T, ready to drop into its notches, bya spring, V, attached to the casing` S orits supporting framework.

Having thus described n1 y invention, I claim as new an d desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A switch fora sin gle-rail elevated railroad in which the switch-rails a b of the main and side tracks, A B, are attached to the frame E of a truck the wheels F of which Arun upon rails Gr, supported from the supporting' structure of the said rails A B, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination ofthe ropes or chains I,

Q, the two pairs ot' bevel-gear wheels L M U P, and the hand-wheel R with the truck E F and the traine-work and the movable rails, substantially as herein shown and described.

8. The. combination of the ratchetwheel T, provided with two notches, and the springpawl U V with the shaft Q, the truck E F, and the switch-rails a b', substantially as herein shown and described.

CORNELIUS DONKERSLEY.

Witnesses:

SIGFRlD LINDHAGEN, A. W. ALMQVIST. 

